Pistons forward Blake Griffin, center, passes the ball while pressured by the Clippers' Danilo Gallinari, second from left, and Marcin Gortat, left, during the first half on Jan. 12, 2019, in Los Angeles. Ringo H.W. Chiu, AP

Game notes: 11½ months since the trade, Blake Griffin makes his much-anticipated return to face the L. A. Clippers. Griffin was the No. 1 pick in the 2009 NBA draft and made the All-Star team in each of his first five NBA seasons. He signed a 5-year, $171 million contract in 2017 to be a "Clipper for life," but on Jan. 29, 2018, he was traded to Detroit for Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic, what became the No. 12 pick in the 2018 NBA draft and a 2019 second-rounder. In his first full season with the Pistons, Griffin is averaging a career-best 25.1 points per game to go with 8.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 3.8 turnovers. ... For the Clippers, Harris is collecting a career-high 21 points with eight rebounds per game, earning All-Star buzz. ... Detroit is 0-2 on this four-game West road trip.